Speech #510038229

And now you come forward with a proposed law which asks us to go much further than we have ever gone. That is the reason why I ventured to propound to the chairman of the committee the inquiry what was the necessity for this legislation. I say that if we are to reopen this question of Chinese exclusion. let it be done in a proper way andnot under disguise and concealment. under the sham and mockery of taking a census. We have a Committee on Foreign Relations. we have a Committee on the Judiciary. we have committees which can carefully scrutinize these measures. who can weigh these important questions. who can consider these important matters. and let us know whether or not we shall promote the interests of our people and of our Government by furnishing material for further irritation and further provocation to arise between the Chinese Government and the American Government. I repeat. sir. that upon the naked proposition of absolutely excluding the Chinese I have voted every time in favor of that proposition. and I propose to do it in the future. but here you have a measure which degrades a class of people. insults a foreign Government. puts an indelible stigma upon a foreign nation. places our Government in a false position and in a false attitude. ay. even making it a penal offense. a penitentiary offense. for a Chinaman not to answer the enumerators questions that he may propound to him. whereas under existing law that is not an offense with regard to any other class of people. as I understand.